Battle Through the Heavens

“Third stage Dou Zhi Qi!”

Watching the five large words imprinted on the Magic Testing Monument that were so bright to the point of being eye piercing, the young man didn’t display any expressions. The corners of his mouth were lifted into a self-ridiculing smile. He tightly clenched his hands into fists and due to the strength that he used, his slightly sharp nails bit into his palm, bringing waves of pain.

“Xiao Yan, Dou Zhi Qi, Third Stage! Rank: Low!” Next to the Magic Testing Monument was a middle-aged man who after looking at the information displayed, announced the results in an indifferent voice.

The moment the words from the middle-aged man left his mouth, a ridiculing commotion ran through the packed field.

“Third stage? Haha, I told you, this “genius” would once again stay where he was!”

“Ugh, this cripple really has disgraced the clan.”

“If his father wasn’t the clan leader, we would have banished this kind of crippled out of the clan and let him live by himself. He definitely wouldn’t have the chance to eat and sleep in the clan.”

“Wow. How could the genius that was renowned in the Wutan City fall to this state today?”

“Who knows? Maybe he did something unforgivable and made the gods angry at him…”

Words of pity and ridicule were emitted from the surrounding and fell into the young man who was standing at the same place like a wood stump. The words were like sharp stakes driven into his heart, making the young man’s breathing a little hurried.

The young man raised his head and showed his delicate and slightly immature face. His dark eyes lifelessly fell upon his peers who were ridiculing him and the self-ridiculing smile at the corner of his mouth seemed to have become more bitter.

“Were these people always so harsh? Maybe it’s because they showed their most humble smile before me three years ago, thus, they want to take it back now…” With a bitter smile, Xiao Yan turned around. His quietly went to the last row of the group. His lonesome figure seemed to be unable to fit in with the rest of his surroundings.

“Next, Xiao Mei!”

With the announcer’s voice, a young girl quickly ran out from within the group of people. As soon as the young girl appeared, the chatter nearby lowered as heated gazes zoomed onto her face.

The young girl was only around fourteen and couldn’t be considered to be an extreme beauty. However, her face which was still a hint of childishness showed a faint enchantment. Innocence and enchanting beauty, this contradicting combination made her the focus of the crowd.

The young girl quickly went up and her small hand practically touched the black Magic Testing Monument. Then, she slowly closed her eyes.

A moment after the girl closed her eyes, the jet black Magic Testing Monument lighted up.

“Dou Zhi Qi: Seventh Stage!”

“Xiao Mei, Dou Zhi Qi: Seventh Stage! Rank: High!”

“Hah!” Hearing the score called out by the announcer, the young girl’s face showed a prideful smile.

“Tsk tsk, seventh stage Dou Zhi Qi, incredible. With this speed, she’ll be a true Dou Zhe in at most three years.”

“Indeed worth of the clan’s top talent.”

Hearing the sounds of envy from the crowd, the young girl’s smile became deeper. Vanity was a temptation that many girls couldn’t resist from.

Talking with her sister friends, Xiao Mei’s gaze shot through the surrounding crowd and stopped on a lonely figure outside of the crowd.

After furrowing her brows and thinking for a while, Xiao Mei decided against walking over. The two were not on the same level anymore. With the performance of Xiao Yan in the past few years, after he undergoes the Adulthood Ceremony, he would only be at most a middle to lower rank member within the clan. On the other hand, the talented her would be a focus point for resources from the clan. It could be said that her future couldn’t be measured.

“Ugh…” Sighing out of the blue, Xiao Mei suddenly thought of the young man three years ago that was excluded a prideful aura. Starting to train at the age of four, reaching the ninth stage of Dou Zhi Qi at the age of ten, tenth stage at eleven where he was able to condense his Dou Qi into a vortex successful, becoming the youngest Dou Zhe that the Xiao Clan had seen a hundred years.

The young before had unlimited potential and captured countless young girls’ hearts, including Xiao Mei.

However, the path of a genius meets its bends. Three years ago, this young man who had reached the peak of his fame suddenly had the cruelest blow of his life. Not only was his Dou Zhi Qi Vortex, that he spent over ten years cultivating, disappearing within one night, as time went on, the Dou Zhi Qi within his body also became strangely less and less.

The direct impact of his Dou Zhi Qi disappearing was that his strength continuously decreased.

Falling the podium of genius to becoming less than a normal person in one night, this blow made the young man lose his vigor. The fame of being a genius also was slowly replaced with disdain and ridicule.

The higher one stood, the harsher one fell. The fall this time, perhaps Xiao Yan would never be able to recover from it.

“Next, Xiao Xuner!”

Amidst the noisy crowd, the announcer’s voice once again sounded.

As this name was called, the crowd suddenly became quiet. All of their gazes turned.

Everyone’s gaze focused on a young girl wearing a purple dress. She was quiet standing and the calm expression on her young face didn’t change at all with the gazes of everyone.

The young girl’s calm and indifferent demeanor was like a lotus blossoming. With such a young age, she had already had such a aura around her. It was hard to imagine how beautiful she would be in the future.

Whether by demeanor or beauty, this purple dressed young girl was prettier than the earlier Xiao Mei by quite a bit. It was natural that everyone would act in such a manner.

Taking small and graceful stuff, the young girl named Xiao Xuner moved to before the Magic Testing Monument. Her small hand reached out and her purple sleeve mixed with black and gold threads fell, revealing a snow-white wrist. She then lightly touched the monument.

After a slight silence, an eye-piercing light shone from the monument.

“Dou Zhi Qi: Ninth Stage! Rank: high!”

Watching the words on the monument, the whole field fell silent.

“…. She’s at the ninth stage, that’s terrifying! The top expert of the younger generation of the Xiao Clan will definitely be Miss Xuner’s.” After the silence, the young men around all swallowed their saliva as their eyes were full of respect.

Dou Zhi Qi was a stage that every Dou Zhe had to pass. The early Dou Zhi Qis ranked from the first stage to the tenth stage and once one reached the tenth stage of Dou Zhi Qi, they could condense their Dou Qi into a vortex and become a respected Dou Zhe!

Within the crowd, Xiao Mei furrowed her brow as she looked at the purple dressed girl before the monument. A trace of envy flashed across her face.

Looking at the information on the monument, the middle-aged announcer finally showed a rare smile. He respectfully said to the young girl: “Miss Xuner, in half a year, you will be able to condense your Dou Qi Vortex and if you succeed, you would become a Dou Zhe at the age of fourteen, becoming the second youngest to do so within the past hundred years in the Xiao Clan!”

Yes, she would be second. The first would be Xiao Yan who no longer had the title of genius.

“Thank you.” The young girl slightly nodded and her face didn’t show any joy despite his praise. She quietly turned around and under everyone’s gaze, she walked to the depressed young man at the very end.

“Brother Xiao Yan.” When she passed the young man, the young girl paused her steps and bowed respectfully at Xiao Yan. Her pretty face showed a smile that made the girls around her feel jealousy.

“Do I still have the qualifications to be called such now?” Looking at the clan’s new most radiant pearl, Xiao Yan bitterly spoke. She was one of the few people who remained respectful towards him after his fall from grace.

Brother Xiao Yan, you once said to Xun Er that one must be able to let go of things in order to take on responsibilities. Those that can take on and let go with ease are truly free.” Xiao Xuner said with a light smile. Her voice, while young, warmed people’s hearts.

“Haha, a free person? I can say that. Look at me now, does this look like a free person? In addition… this world wasn’t mine to begin with.” Xiao Yan said dispiritedly with a self-deprecating smile.

Faced with Xiao Yan’s lack of vigor, Xiao Xuner’s think brows slightly furrowed. She seriously said: “Brother Xiao Yan, although I have no idea what happened to you, however, I believe that you will once again stand. You will take back your former glory and respect…” Speaking to this point, the young girl paused as her face showed a quick flush: “The Brother Xiao Yan at that time was also extremely attractive.”

“Haha.” Faced with the young girl’s frank words, the young man awkwardly laughed but didn’t say any more. Young men were supposed to be arrogant and reckless. However, at this point, Xiao Yan didn’t have the qualifications to do so. He silently turned around and walked out of the field.

Standing at the same spot and watching the young man’s back which seemed to be separated from the rest of the world, Xiao Xuner paused for a second before she chased after Xiao Yan and walked beside him under countless jealous gazes.